When a Bonus...Isn't

Most new reel-spinning slots include a bonus game of some kind.
But is the secondary game always a true ‘bonus’?

The computer age has had a more profound effect on the slot machine than anything else in the casino. We are now surrounded by multiline video slots with clever secondary bonus games played out in computer-powered animation.

The bonus game has even become a staple of new slots in the traditional, single-line, reel-spinning format. More and more new reel-spinners include an extra reel symbol that triggers some secondary bonus event. It is being demanded by players for whom the simple spinning of reels has become monotonous.

But is it really a "bonus"?

Webster’s defines the word "bonus" as: "Something given or paid in addition to the usual." By this definition, though they may be fun to watch and clever and comical, many "bonus" games do not really give a bonus at all, but simply a re-distribution of payouts. This re-distribution often ends up in a lower payback percentage than the same base game without a bonus feature. While that subtraction, usually a fraction of a percentage point, may not be noticeable to the player, it is often accompanied by a lower hit frequency in the primary game. This, you will definitely notice. And it can be annoying.

Non-bonus bonus games are invariably the ones that feature an "accumulating" bonus feature. A reel symbol will cause an incremental rise in the bonus total, and the bonus is paid when the total reaches a certain threshold.

Not all accumulating bonus features are detrimental. To identify those that may hurt the primary game, look at the "triggering" reel symbol—the symbol on the reels that causes the bonus feature to accrue toward an award. If it is a paying symbol in itself, chances are the primary game is unaffected by the bonus game. However, many are not paying symbols; they are simply extra reel symbols that exist for the sole purpose of the bonus games. These are the ones to watch out for.

To illustrate this point, compare the numbers in the programs of slot leader IGT’s most popular traditional games with the versions of the very same games that have been released in its "Vision Series" bonus platform. The Vision Series takes IGT base games and incorporates a special bonus round, displayed on a color LCD video screen imbedded in the slot’s top box.

One of the most common base games in the Vision Series is "Double Diamond," perhaps the most popular reel-spinning slot of all time. In its popular quarter version, a three-coin multiplier, the top-paying traditional Double Diamond game has a long-term payback of 98 percent and a hit frequency of 14.78 percent—a hit of some kind every six to seven spins, on average.

"Double Diamond Mine" takes this base game and adds a diamond symbol to the reels—a non-paying symbol in itself. The Vision Series screen depicts three mine shafts, one corresponding to each reel. When a diamond symbol lands on the payline, the animation shows one diamond for each coin wagered falling into the corresponding mine shaft. When any one shaft fills up with 10 diamonds, the player is paid a 10-coin bonus.

The top-paying version of Double Diamond Mine in a three-coin multiplier pays back 97.42 percent, just over half a percentage point below its stand-alone counterpart. Its hit frequency is 12.03 percent, or a hit of some kind every eight to nine spins. A two-spin difference in hit frequency may not sound like much at first, but in practice, it translates into some excruciating dry spells between payouts.

Moreover, the player is often faced with a frustrating reel result involving the Double Diamond wild symbol, which doubles jackpots when one lands in a winning combination and quadruples jackpots when two land in a win. Excitement will build when two wild symbols land on the payline as the first two reels stop, and then a non-paying diamond lands. "Wild-Wild-Diamond" pays nothing. It only sends a diamond down one of the shafts on the screen.

The Vision slot "Fishin’ for Cash" also uses a non-paying reel symbol to trigger an accumulating bonus, with identical results on the Double Diamond base game: The top version pays 97.42 percent with a 12.03 percent hit frequency.

"Triple Diamond" is another popular IGT slot that has often been used as a base game in the Vision Series. The top version of the standard Triple Diamond game has a 98 percent payback and hits a jackpot of some kind every six to seven spins. The Vision series game "Triple Jackpot Slot Bingo" uses a non-paying reel symbol to "daub" numbers on a video bingo screen. The top-paying program for this game actually has the same payback percentage as the stand-alone game, but the hit frequency is 11.44 percent—a hit every nine spins. The wild symbol results on this are even more frustrating, since two wild symbols on the payline with a paying symbol multiply the jackpot by nine.

There are a couple of IGT Vision games that are exceptions to this rule. The game "Triple Cash Winfall," for instance, uses a Triple Diamond program with a non-paying "$" symbol that accumulates coins in columns corresponding to each reel. The payback percentage of the top program is roughly the same as the stand-alone Triple Diamond, but the hit frequency is a whopping 26.62 percent—a hit almost every three spins.

"Bonus Spin Five Times Pay" is another exception. The Vision screen features a huge single reel that spins when the non-paying reel symbol lands, accruing coins on a "Bonus Meter" that pay when a "Collect" symbol lands. The top payback on this game is 98.01 percent with a hit frequency of 17.24 percent (every five to six spins)—higher than the original Five Times Pay game.

Several other Vision Series games use paying symbols to accumulate bonus totals on the video screen. These base games have the same percentages and hit frequencies as the stand-alone games—therefore, the bonus feature is actually a "bonus."

"Wild Cherry Pie" is such a game. The popular IGT base game features the cherry wild symbol. On the Vision game, the same wild symbol triggers cherries to fall into sections of a cherry pie on the video screen—one cherry for each coin wagered. When a section fills to overflowing, the player collects. The hit frequency on the game is 17.46 percent, which is above average for a single-line reel slot.

"Red, White & Blue Racing 7s" is another Vision game in which the bonus is really a bonus. The Vision Series screen depicts the game’s red, white and blue "7" symbols on a three-lane raceway, each lane corresponding to a reel. When a "7" lands on a reel, the corresponding "7" on the Vision screen advances toward one of three bonus payments. Nothing is taken away from the primary game.

It should be noted that the Vision Series games using non-paying symbols to accumulate bonus coins are not necessarily bad; on the contrary, they are all very popular. We have featured all of the games noted in our "Slot Spotlight" section. The reason we have featured them is that, quite simply, they are fun. The Vision bonus game adds a dimension to the game outside of the spinning of reels, a dimension that many players enjoy. It’s exciting keeping one eye on the bonus screen and the other on the reels.

However, if it’s hit frequency and a bonus that is truly a bonus you are seeking, look at the trigger symbol. If it’s non-paying, the hit frequency is likely to be lower than normal. If the symbol pays independent of the bonus game, then you can be fairly certain you’re really getting a bonus.